UPDATE: Sussex PCC expresses ‘disappointment’ after former sergeant is jailed

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Published:11:57Thursday 09 May 2013

Sussex police and crime commissioner (PCC) Katy Bourne has expressed disappointment in the behaviour of former Sussex Police sergeant James Bowes who was jailed today (Thursday May 9).

Mr Bowes, from Steyning, has been sentenced to ten months in jail for selling information to The Sun newspaper.

The PCC has condemned his actions.

Mrs Bourne told the County Times: “This sort of behaviour is extremely disappointing.

“Any form of corruption is not condoned and police integrity is so important to me.”

She continued: “I am satisfied that Sussex Police has thoroughly investigated and resolved this matter.

“As PCC it is my job to scrutinise the police and hold them to account.

“I have included a target in my police and crime plan to increase public confidence and there are also new, national, measures being proposed designed to ensure the highest standards of police integrity. These include setting out clearer rules for how officers should conduct themselves and ensuring that officers who do wrong are investigated and punished.”

Former sergeant Bowes was based in Brighton and contacted the newspaper on a number of occasions, national media have reported.

In June 2010 he received £500 for information about a fox attack on a three-year-old at a birthday party.

It has also been reported that he tried to sell information about the daughter of celebrities Peter Andre and Katie Price.

A spokesperson for the Met said: “James Bowes, a former Sussex police officer who had previously pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office appeared at the Central Criminal Court today and was sentenced to ten months in prison.

“This conviction is part of Operation Elveden and demonstrates that behaviour of this kind will not be tolerated in the police service.

“Operation Elveden is the investigation into allegations of inappropriate payments to police and public officials. It is being supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and is running in conjunction with Operation Weeting, the MPS inquiry into the phone-hacking of voicemail boxes.”